Veteran Cycling Network

Andre Kidd

The Veteran Cycling Network Podcast is a running conversation between service members, veterans, and the people who ride alongside them — recorded across time zones, born out of the idea that leaving the military shouldn't mean losing your platoon. Each episode, hosts Andre and Melvin sit down with guests from around the world to talk bikes — road, gravel, mountain, whatever gets you outside — and the real stuff underneath it: managing stress and PTSD, staying connected after service, finding a new community when the old one scatters. Expect gear talk, crash stories, plenty of ribbing between roadies and everybody else, and honest conversations about why so many of us have found more relief on two wheels than anywhere else. New episodes when we've got something worth saying — subscribe so you don't miss one.

Episodes

  1. Aug 30

    Veteran Cycling Network Podcast: Episode 7

    Andre sits down with RegRides and Melvin for a wide-ranging episode on what actually happens after you buy a bike — the fitting, the gear, and the mistakes almost everyone makes on their first setup. Reg lays out his "if I had $2,000 to start over" philosophy (fit, consistency, fitness, then contact points), Andre breaks down the hard lessons from dialing in a brand-new e-mountain bike, and Melvin explains why mountain biking is a seasonal sport back in Northern Virginia. The back half turns into a rapid-fire "best purchase / worst purchase" round — Fidlock bottles, Rev Grips, a $200 mahogany-handled bike pump, and one Bontrager water bottle that gets fully roasted. They close on helmet safety, road-rage close calls, and a mention of Tadej Pogačar's crash, plus shoutouts to Mike's Bike Shop (Korea), the new Dirt Therapy Project chapter in Grafenwöhr, Germany, and the Wounded Warrior Project. Key topics: Why the bike shop fitting isn't enough — get a real bike fit first Reg's $2,000 first-purchase philosophy: fit → consistency → fitness → contact points Mountain bike ride-day prep vs. road bike prep Why mountain biking is seasonal in the U.S. but not in Germany Power meters: "speed lies, power doesn't" Best purchases ever: Fidlock bottles, Rev Grips, e-MTB, a $200 bike pump, photochromic glasses, Wahoo Element Ace Worst purchase: Bontrager Slimline water bottles Helmet safety, MIPS, and the one-crash-and-replace rule Road safety: riding defensively, the Pogačar crash, a road-rage shooting story Mentioned / resources: Fidlock water bottle system — fidlock.com Rev Grips — revgrips.com Wahoo Element Ace Lezyne bike pump Mike's Bike Shop (Korea) — future guest tease Dirt Therapy Project, Grafenwöhr, Germany Wounded Warrior Project — wounded warrior project.org Visit us at www.veterancyclingnetwork.com

  2. Aug 9

    Veteran Cycling Network Episode 6

    Andre and Melvin catch up after a few weeks apart, trading ride stories from two very different training grounds — Andre's e-bike missions on Germany's enduro trails and Melvin's pre-dawn gravel commute through Northern Virginia. Along the way: an honest N+1 confession about bike addiction (Melvin's new titanium Moots Womble frame included), the special pain of ordering bike parts to an overseas APO address, and Andre's long-shot entry into The Traka 100 gravel race in Girona, Spain. The back half is the practical core of the episode: a full show-and-tell of what each of them actually carries on a ride — multi-tools, CO2 vs. tubes, tubeless plug kits, snacks — followed by a rundown of tire pressure and width preferences, bone-conducting headphones for situational awareness, and a head-to-head on Garmin Edge computers (530 vs. 830 vs. 1050). They close with a shoutout to Disconnect to Reconnect, a veteran-run outdoor community supporting vets through mountain biking, backpacking, and more. In this episode: Catching up after a few weeks off the mic E-bike enduro riding in Germany vs. gravel commuting in Fairfax, VA Melvin's new (secret) titanium Moots Womble frame Bike addiction and the N+1 rule The pain of ordering parts to an overseas APO Finding riding partners while PCSing Signing up for The Traka 100 (Girona, Spain) and comparing it to Unbound Gravel Gravel suspension forks (Lauf, RockShox, DT Swiss) What's actually in their saddlebags: tools, CO2, tubes, tire plugs, snacks Tire pressure and width preferences for gravel and mountain biking Bone-conducting headphones (Shokz OpenRun) vs. riding "raw dog" Garmin Edge 530 vs. 830 vs. 1050 showdown Shoutout: Disconnect to Reconnect (veteran outdoor community) Mentioned in this episode: Moots Womble (titanium gravel/hardtail frame) The Traka gravel race, Girona, Spain Unbound Gravel, Kansas Lauf, RockShox, DT Swiss gravel suspension forks Shokz OpenRun bone-conducting headphones Garmin Edge 530 / 830 / 1050 Disconnect to Reconnect (veteran outdoor nonprofit) — link in show notes  https://www.d2rvets.com/

About

The Veteran Cycling Network Podcast is a running conversation between service members, veterans, and the people who ride alongside them — recorded across time zones, born out of the idea that leaving the military shouldn't mean losing your platoon. Each episode, hosts Andre and Melvin sit down with guests from around the world to talk bikes — road, gravel, mountain, whatever gets you outside — and the real stuff underneath it: managing stress and PTSD, staying connected after service, finding a new community when the old one scatters. Expect gear talk, crash stories, plenty of ribbing between roadies and everybody else, and honest conversations about why so many of us have found more relief on two wheels than anywhere else. New episodes when we've got something worth saying — subscribe so you don't miss one.